Rebuilding Japan

A magnitude 9.0 quake rocked Japan, triggered a tsunami and set off a race to cool nuclear reactors.

This March 24 aerial photo shows the extent of damage at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Japan. The 40-foot-tall tsunami destroyed the electrical and cooling systems, resulting in meltdowns at some of the reactors.
Air Photo Service/AP
hide caption

Nisaka Mieko gathers chives, which have been contaminated by radiation from the Fukushima nuclear reactor accident. She says she may lose $25,000 in crops, and hopes to plant some of the seeds next year.
Louisa Lim/NPR
hide caption

Despite Radiation, Some Japanese Villagers Stay Put

The Japan Animal Rescue shelter in Samukawa houses about 200 dogs and cats, most of them brought in from the now off-limits area around the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.
Brian Naylor/NPR
hide caption

Risky Rescue: Saving Pets From Japan Exclusion Zone

A worker checks the status of the water level at the Unit 1 reactor at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Japan on Tuesday. Japanese officials said the reactor doesn't appear to be holding water, which means its core probably sustained more damage than originally thought.
TEPCO/AP
hide caption

In Kesennuma, garbage covers much of the city, particularly in the harbor. Some baseball fields and parks nearby have been converted into areas where cranes can sort through the debris.
Yuki Noguchi/NPR
hide caption

One Big Obstacle To Japan's Recovery? Trash

Michihiro Kono is the ninth-generation chief executive of soy sauce maker Yagisawa Co. in Rikuzentakata, Japan. His factory, storeroom, customer records and two of his employees were washed away in the tsunami. But he's determined to rebuild.
Chie Kobayashi for NPR
hide caption